Klopp irked by 'slapstick' loss as Liverpool progress

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was not happy with the "slapstick" 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan which ended their year-long unbeaten home record but accepts it was the one game they could afford to lose. The Reds carried a two-goal advantage from the San Siro into the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie at Anfield and ended up needing it after Lautaro Martinez's 61st-minute goal had given the visitors a chance of overturning the deficit. However, Alexis Sanchez's red card for a second bookable offence less than two minutes later blew a hole in Inter's hopes and although Liverpool should have put the result beyond doubt as Mohamed Salah twice hit the post in the second half a fourth quarter-final in five seasons was secured. "Big caveats. The art of football is to lose the right games," said Klopp after a first home defeat in 29 matches spanning the course of 366 days also brought to an end a 12-match winning run.

"We didn't come here tonight to lose a home game... but we are through and that's the main target" - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp frustrated after "slapstick" loss to Inter Milan #UCL #LIVINT pic.twitter.com/wV74oTQt5y

"I still hate it but if there was any game we could have afforded to lose it was this one because the main target of this competition is to get through. "It's not that I am here over the moon, I'm really happy we went through, because when we saw the draw it was 'OK, that's a tough one', but we went through over two legs and I think we deserved it.

"It's a big 'if' but if we had used our chances from set-pieces and other situations - it was a bit slapstick how we missed the chances - in the end we could still have won the game. "But the only thing I'm interested in is it is fair we are